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Egg-Sized Diamond Discovered in Botswana

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a gem diamond in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 16, 2021. (AFP Photo)
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a gem diamond in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 16, 2021. (AFP Photo)
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Egg-Sized Diamond Discovered in Botswana

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a gem diamond in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 16, 2021. (AFP Photo)
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a gem diamond in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 16, 2021. (AFP Photo)

One of the largest diamonds ever found has been discovered in a mine in the landlocked African state of Botswana.

The stone, the size of a chicken's egg, is 1098 carats and of the purest quality, mine operator Debswana said. The gem was found at the Jwaneng mine earlier this month, according to the German News Agency (dpa).

The mine is owned by the Debswana consortium, in partnership with diamond producer De Beers and the state of Botswana. It owns a total of four large diamond mines, of which the 400-meter-deep mine in Jwaneng is considered the largest.

News of the discovery comes as diamond fever gripped a tiny village across the border in South Africa. Thousands of treasure hunters flocked to the region, to burrow through the soil where a local shepherd found a fistful of unidentified stones.

According to The Metro, word quickly spread about the find after pictures and videos were posted to social media showing people celebrating the discovery of what are believed to be quartz crystals.

Prospectors wielding picks, shovels and forks travelled from across the country to join villagers who have been digging since Saturday. Sihle Zikalala, the province's premier, ordered the crowds to leave the area, warning that "the situation could result in chaos and a possible stampede."

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Faint Glow in Saturn… Did a Mystery Object Crash into the Gas Giant on Saturday?

New image captured by a NASA employee and amateur astronomer appears to show a space object crashing into Saturn for the first time. Photo: NASA
New image captured by a NASA employee and amateur astronomer appears to show a space object crashing into Saturn for the first time. Photo: NASA
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Faint Glow in Saturn… Did a Mystery Object Crash into the Gas Giant on Saturday?

New image captured by a NASA employee and amateur astronomer appears to show a space object crashing into Saturn for the first time. Photo: NASA
New image captured by a NASA employee and amateur astronomer appears to show a space object crashing into Saturn for the first time. Photo: NASA

Astronomers have called for help to identify a mystery object that may have hit Saturn on Saturday in what could be the first recorded instance of a space object crashing on to the gas giant.

Studies suggest large objects- measuring over a kilometer across – strike Saturn once every 3,125 years on an average, according to The Independent.

Although data shows seven or eight small space rocks hit the planet every year, none have been spotted in the act by astronomers so far.

Compared to rocky planets where cosmic collisions leave impact craters, gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn don’t reveal such signs.

But a new image captured by a Nasa employee and amateur astronomer Mario Rana appears to show a space object crashing into Saturn for the first time.

Since gas giants have outer layers made of hydrogen and helium, strikes by asteroids or comets can quickly fade out.

Rana is part of the DeTeCt project, which analyzes images of Jupiter and Saturn using computer software. Videos taken of Saturn by the astronomer last Saturday show a faint glow in the left side of the footage, which seems like an impact event.

The Planetary Virtual Observatory and Laboratory, or PVOL, a consortium of professional and amateur astronomers, has called for experts in the field to attempt to confirm or refute the potential impact on Saturn.

“Marc Delcroix reports a potential impact in Saturn captured in a few frames in a video observation obtained by Mario Rana. The potential impact would be very faint and is unconfirmed,” PVOL said in a statement.

“The very short impact flash occurred on Saturn on 5 July 2025, between 9am and 9.15am UT. It is very important to get other videos of Saturn taken during that time frame.”

PVOL has urged astronomers who may have also captured observations from this time to contact Delcroix and submit their data.

Leigh N Fletcher, a planetary science professor at the University of Leicester, also called for amateur space observers to share any potential videos they may have of the impact.

“Amplifying the call from Marc Delcroix and co over the weekend: the team are looking to verify/refute a potential impact on Saturn on 5 July, 9am to 9.15am UT,” Dr Fletcher wrote on BlueSky.

“Videos taken by amateur observers at that time might hold the key.”